Missing in Action
by Sheriff of Nottingham
Summary: Snape is missing. He is being accused by the public of being loyal to Voldemort. Where is he and has he betrayed the Order?


**Disclaimer: (cloaked person holds wand to my back) I… I…(pokes me with wand) Fine! I admit that I do NOT own Severus Snape or the other HP characters.**

**Author's Note: Hey! Are you Snape? (Figure knocks me out)…**

**What happened? Where'd he go? How long was I out? Do I own Alan Rickman yet?**

**P.S. there will be bloody and gruesome images in the story.**

**ZZZZ**

Missing

**ZZZZ**

Harry Potter threw the Daily Prophet on Dumbledore's desk.

"What's the matter, Harry," Dumbledore asked with a smile.

"Where is he?" Harry demanded.

"Who?"

"SNAPE? Who do you think?"

"That is not your concern," Dumbledore said quietly.

"It bloody well is, you let him see my mind and now he's… now he's…" Harry motioned towards the Daily Prophet.

Dumbledore read the headline:

'**Double-Crossing Death Eater Fools Famous Albus Dumbledore'**

Dumbledore frowned but read the article underneath.

'Traitorous Severus Snape has finally shown his true colours. After years of being thought of as an Ex-Death Eater, he rejoined You Know Who again four years ago when he rose again. Just last year, ALBUS DUMBLEDORE made it know to the public that Snape was his spy, an innocent man, after Snape was apparently found out by You Know Who.

After the attack on Hogwarts two nights ago in which Harry Potter, who graduated from the school last year, was not able to defeat the Dark Lord but fought other Death Eater's bravely and saved many lives, Snape disappeared. The Ministry strongly suspect that he has returned to his 'master'. They also suspect that he has been passing information to You Know Who since his return.'

Dumbledore frowned and shook his head. "After all his work, this is how he is repaid."

"Where is he then?" Harry demanded.

"I don't know," Dumbledore replied honestly.

"So this could be true then," Harry motioned towards the newspaper.

"It isn't."

"HOW DO YOU BLOODY WELL KNOW?"

Dumbledore slammed his fists on the desk. "Mr. Potter!"

Harry flinched.

Dumbledore continued. "How DARE you say such thing about Severus. He is as loyal to us as Remus or anyone else in the Order. You dare accuse him just because he is not your friend?" he whispered dangerously.

"No! that's not why and you know it!"

"Accuse Remus then!"

"Why would I do that. I have no reason to suspect him," Harry looked outraged at the thought.

"And you have no reason to suspect Severus. You know nothing of him."

"Where is he then?"

"I don't know," Dumbledore sighed.

"There you have it."

"Have you ever suspected Remus?"

"No," Harry scoffed.

"Yet he was missing for a month not long back."

"That… that was different."

"Why?" Dumbledore asked sincerely.

"Because…" he didn't have an answer.

"Because Remus is your friend and you would not accuse a friend of such nonsense."

"I apologise. I didn't mean it. It's just after Pettigrew, and Percy last year…"

"I know Harry. But I also know that Severus is a good man – a great man. He would rather take his own life than go back to following Voldemort."

Harry hung his head. "So do you think THEY took Snape?"

"I honestly don't know. If they killed him, we would have found the body. I they are going to kill him, they will send us his body. If he escaped, he will come to us. They are the only options."

"We can't send a rescue team or something?"

"Where would they go?" Dumbledore shrugged sadly.

**ZZZZ**

Four months later, the seventh years were studying quietly in the potions classroom while their substitute, Professor Sweeney, sat at Professor Snape's old desk. It had taken all this time to find someone capable of teaching potions, if only the theory part. She wasn't much good at brewing but she was all they had.

"Excuse me class. Professor Dumbledore asked me so check what ingredients are in the student stores yesterday and I forgot until now so don't mind me coming in and out. Just carry on."

The students rolled their eyes. She really was as pathetic excuse for a teacher. Even Lockhart had been a better teacher than this.

Not thirty second later a scream was heard form the student store room, and Professor Sweeney came running out – straight out the door.

The students looked at each other. Some of the older boys moved slowly towards the store room, wands out and ready. The first boy, MacRichard, slowly pushed the door open. A foul smell hit them as they walked in.

"Fuckin' hell," was heard from the classroom.

What was there, behind some crates, actually made a couple vomit in revulsion. They all pushed their way out of the room as fast as they could.

"What's happened?" one of the students in the class asked, nervously looking at the vomiting boys.

"Get Dumbledore! Now!"

"What do I tell him?" she asked.

"Tell him we've found Professor Snape."

She nodded and ran to find the Headmaster.

**ZZZZ**

Poppy screamed and covered her mouth as she saw Dumbledore appear with a body, if that was what you could call it.

"Is that…?" she was afraid to ask.

"It's Severus. He was found by the students, in the store room after Professor Sweeney fled the scene."

As they lay Snape on the bed, Harry ran into the infirmary.

"I heard you found him," he panted after a long run.

Dumbledore merely nodded as he cut off Snape's ragged, burned robes. He threw them on the floor so Poppy could examine the body.

Poppy was horrified, barely able to look at what was left of her friend and adopted son.

Snape had indeed been returned to them. Most of him. his left leg was missing and the right one was severed at the knee. His left arm was missing. His cheeks were slit from the corner of the lips in what was commonly known as a "smiley". You could see the bones in his face, he was so thin. One of his eyes was glued shut by blood. Worst of all had to be they way his stomach had been ripped open. Most of his skin had been burned with acid potions.

"He's still alive Albus!"

"What? How is that possible? Look at his stomach," Albus was worried sick. In all his years, he had never seen something so gruesome in war… and still alive.

Harry felt sick as he watched maggots eating at the open stomach of his former Potions Professor.

"They didn't feed him. in four months, he didn't have a bit to eat. They used a curse to stop the blood from flowing out of him. They used another to keep him awake. He could feel everything!... Albus, they tortured him for four months!" Poppy cried.

"Is there anything you can do?" Dumbledore asked hopefully.

Poppy shook her head. "The spell keeping him alive is wearing off. The best we can do is keep him company before…" she couldn't finish as she buried her head in her hands.

Harry looked at the floor. How could he have suspected him all this time while the man was being tortured. It was the ultimate cruelty to keep him alive. As he looked at the floor, he spotted a blood stained envelope amongst the acid burned robes. He bent down to pick it up. It was addressed to "The Order of the Phoenix" on the other side.

"Albus" he called and handed it over.

Dumbledore opened it and began to read. It was the first time Harry had ever seen the old wizard cry. Tears were falling silently as he dropped the letter. He sat on the edge of Snape bed and started murmuring "I'm sorry, Severus. I'm so sorry."

Harry picked up the letter again and began to read.

"Dumbledore,

As you are, no doubt, reading this letter, I am happily planning my moves – don't worry your precious Potter is not involved yet.

My **LOYAL** servants had their fun with Severus but have no use for him now. And believe me, they had fun. Many of them have fancied him for quite a while. To turned them all down when they wished for relations with him. He didn't have much of a choice this time round you see.

Didn't you realise what else they had done to him? No? Just another reason to feel guilty, Dumbledore.

It is, after all, your fault that he turned away from me. It is your fault that he was spying on me. It is you fault was tortured so for treason. Well… it was little Peter's idea to keep him alive. He made a lovely little spell, all by himself. It is your fault my Wormtail has any sense at all, thank you.

I wonder is Severus alive as you read this? Mores the pity if he is because it must tear you to know the pain he's in because of you. And let me assure you, he will be in pain till his last breath. We've made sure of that.

Once again, I thank you Dumbledore. You gave us four months of fun. But, alas, all good things come to an end.

It is most unfortunate that Severus's name has been tarnished because of the Daily Prophet's reporting since his disappearance. You must take credit for that too. He will live and die in shame as you watch. Mourned by no one but you. Happy living. I shall see you soon.

Most sincerely,

Lord Voldemort.

P.s. Did you know he had intimate relations with one Mr Sirius Black? Poor Severus had no one to comfort him when Bellatrix killed him."

Harry was wiping back his own tears. Snape had suffered through so much, is still suffering, while the whole wizarding world curses him as a traitor.

The three people in the infirmary stayed with Snape for nearly two hours, talking to him or reading to him, before the life left his body and the relief from pain came with his last breath, as Voldemort had promised.

Not longer reported as 'missing in action', he was free.

**Please review!**


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